Package pick-up device for aircraft



M. S. LEAGUE Sept. 8, 1931.

PACKAGE PICK-U1 DEVICE'FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOk MAURICBIS. LEAeug ATTORNEY Sept. 8, 1931. M. s. LEAGUE PACKAGE PICK-UP DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 22, 1928 Z Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR MAURICE S. LEAGUE BY ATTORNEY.

i atented Sept. 8 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAURICE S. LEAGUE, F TACOMA, WASHINGTON PACKAGE PICK-U1? DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT Application filed October 22, 1928. Serial No. 314,077.

This invention relates to package pick-up devices for aircraft, and has for its principal object to provide an efiicient, simple and relatively inexpensive means whereby mail t pouches, packages, or various other articles may be picked up by an aeroplane in flight. More specifically stated, the object of the present invention resides in the provision of means for the above stated purpose, compr1s J0 ing a grappling cable that may be suspended from the areoplane while in flight and wh1ch has an enlargement at its lower end; a guide cable that may be drawn taut between two stationary points and against which the grappling cable may be brought into sl1d1ng contact by flight of the areoplane in an angular direction across the vertical plane of the guide cable; and a bracket of novel construction by means of which the package or article to be picked up may be held insuspension from the guidecable and which 1s provided with an opening into which the grappling cable will be directed by travel along the guide cable to thereby eflect a holding connection between the bracket and the enlargement at the end of the suspended cable for picking up the the package.

It is also an object of the invention to provide the guide cable in two complemental sections which are joined when in use through the intermediacy of the bracket and which will be disconnected automatically by displacement of the bracket by the grappling cable so as to fall clear and out of the'way the instant connection is made between the bracket and grappling cable.

Other objects of the inventionreside inthe various details of construction, in the combination of parts and in their mode of opera- 40 tion, as will hereinafter be described.

In accomplishing these objects, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the use of a package pick-up device embodied by the present invention, with arrows indi cating the angular directionof flight of the aeroplane with respect to the direction of the guide cable.

, This cable,which serves as a support for the Figure 2 is a similar View showing the resultant disconnection of the two joined sections of the guide cable by the picking up of the article suspended thereby. I

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a preferred form of bracket whereby an article to be picked up is held suspended from the guide cable and whereby the sections of the cable are joined.

Figure 4 is an upper end view of the bracket. I

Figure 5 is an enlarged, sectional detail taken on the line 55 in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative form of bracket.

Figure 7 is an alternative form of support for the bracket in lieu of the guide cable.

Referring more in detail to the drawings 1 designates what may be an aeroplane of an ordinary type and 2 agrappling cable that is suspended from the aeroplane and which is provided at its lower end with a knob, or enlargement, 3. It is intended that the cable 2 be supported in the areoplane on a suitable winding drum, not shown, and that it may be automatically drawn in or paid out from the drum while the plane is in flight. The cable incidentally would be of considerable length and of sufficient strength to withstand any shock or strain to which it i might be subjected. v

directed on the ground is a pole, or tower,

"5 from theupper end of which a sectional cable extends to an anchoring device 6 which is located at some distance from the base of the pole and which, preferably, has a sharpened prong 6a adapted to be projected into the ground to secure the anchor in place.

article to be picked up and also as a guide for directing the grappling cable thereto, consists of two complemental sections 7 and 7 a respectively which are functionally joined together while in use through the intermediacy of a bracket 8, presently described in detail, by means of which the article to be I picked up is held suspended. The cable section 7a, extends through a pulley 9 at the up I per end of the pole 5 and then downwardly along the pole and preferably would be carried on a winding drum of a suitable charactor, as designated at 10; the drum being desirable in order that the cable 7a may be paid out for the purpose of lowering its outer end to a position for easy connection with the cable 7 by means of the bracket 8, and also in order that, after this connection has been made, the joined parts may be drawn taut between the anchor and the top of the pole 5.

The bracket 8, in its preferred form of construction, consists of a vertical bar 8a provided at its lower end with a clamp 12 for holding the article to be picked up; this clamp being attached to the bar through the intermediacy of a coiled spring 13. At its upper end, the bar is provided with an integral, ring-like support 15 that is disposed in a plane at a right angle with respect to the direction of the bar 8a and which has an entrance thereto at one side normally closed by an inwardly swinging latch 16 pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 17 and urged to closed position by a spring 18 which is wrapped about the upper end of the pivot with its opposite ends connected, respectively, to the latch and to the body of the ring. The swinging end of the latch is adapted, when closed, to seat tightly against the inner side of a roller 20 mounted at that side of the entrance to the ring by a pivot pin 21; the roller being provided with two encircling grooves 22 and 22 for a purpose presently apparent. On the under side of the ring, at opposite sides of the bar 8a, are two depending lugs 23-23 which serve with the bar 8a to retain the bracket properly on the supending guide cable.

The adjacent ends of the two cable sections 7 and 7a are provided, respectively, with balllike knobs 7 d and 7 e and these, when assembled with the bracket, are adapted to be gripped and held between the end of the latch 16 and the roller 20. The pull on these cables tends to hold the latch all the more secure by reason of the fact that the knobs at the ends of the cables engage with the end of the latch and draw it toward the roller.

In using the device, the article to be picked up by the aeroplane is first attached to the clamp 12 at the lower end of the bracket Sa. Such an article may be a mail pouch, as indicated at 30, in Figures 1 and 2, or it may be a package or article of any other kind. Then, the ends of the cable sections 7 and 7a are placed within the entrance to the ring 15 and are held by action of the latch 16 gripping the cables between the end of the latch and the roller 20. The cables, in this arrange1nent,-are located within the encircling grooves 2222 inthe roller so that they may not he accidentally displaced. In connecting the cables with the bracket, the cable 7, as is shown best in Figure 3, extends directly into theentrance'to the ring and its end is held by direct pull of the ball 7d at its end against the latch 16, whereas the cable 7 a is extended beneath the ring 15 between the depending lugs 23 and the bar 8a. Then, it extends about the lug 23 and partly about the roller 20, with the ball 7e at its end also seated back of the latch 16.

After the article to be picked up has been attached to the bracket 8 and the cable ends also secured to the bracket, as described, the cable section 7a is wound in on the drum 10 and the two sections constituting the guide cable are thereby drawn taut between the post 5 and the anchor 6 with the bracket 8 located relatively close to the post.

In order that the'aeroplane may pick up the article from the guide cable, it must pass over the .guide cable in an angular direction so that the suspended grappling cable will be caused to contact with the guide cable and travel upwardly along it in the direction of the pole 5. The entrance to the ring 15 is toward the lower end of the guide cable and, when the suspended grappling cable contacts with the latch 16, the latter is pressed inwardly and the cable 2 passes within the ring 15. Also, as the latch swings inwardly, it automatically releases the retaining balls at the ends of the cable sections 7 and 7a from the bracket. The bracket thus released drops downwardly along the grappling cable until held by the retaining knob at the end of the latter, which is made of sufiicient size that it will not pass through the ring and thus a connection between the cable 2 and the bracket is effected, by means of which the article may then be lifted into the aeroplane. One of the important features of this arrangement resides in the tart that, as soon as the bracket is displaced from the guide cable, the two sections of the latter tly apart and clear ot the bracket and the grappling cable so that the possibility of their being entangled in any way with each other is avoided.

In Figure 6 I have shown an alternative form of bracket construction wherein the latch 16 is practically the same as in the preferred form, but wherein the ring 15 is provided at the under side and at opposite sides of the bar 8a, with downwardly depending lugs 35 with vertical slots 3636 2)1) therein for receiving the ends of the cable sections 7 and 7a respectively, and against which the retaining balls at the ends of the cables will. abut in holding contact. lVhen this bracket is lifted upwardly, by means of the grappling cable, it is pulled clear of the knobs and the sections of the cable are thereby automatically released.

In Figure 7, I have illustrated another form of support for the bracket, which consists simply of a vertical post 4-0 in which .a horizontal arm 41 oi. considerable length is mounted. The bracket maybe placed on this arm in a manner similar to that in which it is placed on the suspended cable and the grappling cable from the plane engages with the arm and follows along it until it is brought into contact with the bracket and connection is made with the latter in the same manner as previously described.

The arrangement described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 is relatively inexpensive, simple in operation, and very eflective in use, principally for reason of the fact that the entrance of the grappling cable into the open ing at the side of the ring of the bracket automatically releases the bracket from the cable and permits the connected ends of the cables to fly apart and clear of the grappling cable and bracket so that the possibility of their being entangled is overcome.

It is quite apparent that in devices of this character changes in various details of construction could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and for this reason, I do not wish to be limited in the claims only to the devices as herein described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is: A

1. A package pick-up device for aircraft comprising a guide cable drawn between two stationary points, a bracket removably sup ported by the guide cable and comprising means for the attachment thereto of an article to be picked up, a grappling cable sus pended from the aircraft and adapted to be brought, during flight of the latter, into sliding contact with the guide cable and to be directed thereby into contact with the bracket, and means on the grappling cable adapted to effect .a holding connection with the bracket whereby the latter will be displaced from the guide cable.

2. A'package pick-up device for aircraft comprising a bracket to which an article to be picked up may be attached, a guide cable drawn taut between two points and comprising complemental sections held connected by said bracket, a grapple depending from the aircraft and adapted during flight of the. latter to be brought into contact with said cable and to be directed thereby into contact with the bracket, means operable upon contact of said grapple with the bracket for disconnecting the cable sections and means on the grapple for effecting a holding connection with said bracket.

3. A package pick-up device for aircraft comprising a bracket to which the article to be picked up is attached, a guide cable comprising complemental sections with ends detachably secured to the bracket for holding the latter suspended, a grappling cable suspended from the aircraft and adapted during flight of the latter to be brought into sliding contact with one section of said cable and to be guided thereby against the bracket, means on the bracket movable by contact therewith of the grappling cable for automatically releasing the bracket from the suspending sections of the guide cable and means on the grappling cable for eifecting a holding contact with the bracket after it is released.

4. A package pick-up device for aircraft comprising-a bracket consisting of a depend ing bar to which the article to be picked up may be attached and provided at its upper end with a laterally directed, ring-like portion with'an entrance thereintoat one side, cable sections extended respectively from two spaced apart supports with ends releasably secured to the bracket for holding the latter in suspension, a grappling cable suspended from the aircraft and adapted during flight of the latter to be brought into contact with one of said cable sections and to be guided thereby to the bracket and through the entrance into the ring-like portion thereof, and a retaining enlargement at the lower end of the grappling cable and whereby a holding connection with the bracket is provided.

5. A package pick-up device for aircraft comprising a bracket in the form of a depending bar to which the article to be picked up may be attached and provided at its upper end with a laterally directed, ring-like portion having an entrance thereinto at one side, an inwardly yieldable latch normally closing the entrance, cable sections having ends releasably attached to the bracket by the clamping action of the latch thereagainst and having their outer ends attached to two spaced apart, stationary points whereby they are held taut and the bracket held in suspension, agrappling cable suspended from the aircraft and adapted, during flight of the latter, to be brought into engagement with one of said cable sections and to be guided thereby against the latch of the bracket for releasing the latter and for passing the grappling cable into the ring-like portion of the bracket and a retaining enlargement at the end of the grapppling cable for eflecting a holding connection with the bracket after the suspending cables have been released therefrom.

'6. A device as in claim 7 wherein the ringlike portion is provided at one side of the entrance thereinto with a pivotally mounted roller against which the swinging end of the latch engages and which is provided with encircling grooves for seating therein the ends of the suspending cables when clamped by the latch.

7 A package pick-up device for aircraft comprising a bracket in the form of a depending bar from which the article to be picked up may be attached; said barbeing provided at its upper end with a horizontally disposed, ring-like portion provided With an entrance thereinto at one side, an inward 1y opening latch pivotally fixed to the ringlike portion for closing the entrance, a spring urging it to closed position, a pair of cable seetions extended respectively from tWo spaced supports and attached to the bracket to hold it in suspension by the clamping action thereagainst of the said pivoted latch, said cable sections having retaining knobs at their ends for holding contact with the latch and said ring-like member of the bracket having lugs on its under side for engaging with one of the attached cables to prevent displacement of the bracket from its position of support thereon.

Signed at Tacoma, Washington, this 2nd day of October, 1928.

MAURICE S. LEAGUE. 

